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Manage an ESE

Check out these resources that can help you manage the day-to-day work of running a successful ESE.

Welcome to the dynamic world of managing an Employment Social Enterprise (ESE), where each day presents intricate challenges and exciting opportunities. This phase of the journey requires a skillful approach to navigate through the complexities of day-to-day operations, scaling resources, and preserving the heart of your social mission.

Effective management is the linchpin that holds it all together. It means aligning your workforce, refining your processes, and optimizing your systems to meet the ever-evolving demands of running an ESE, all while ensuring that your organization’s unique social impact goals remain at the forefront of your operations.

As you steer your ESE towards success, adapting your strategies for leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement is vital. These are the tools that will assist your ESE’s social impact while facilitating sustainable growth. It’s about leading with purpose, communicating your mission effectively, and engaging with stakeholders who share your commitment to making a difference.

Managing an ESE is a balancing act—a dance between the world of business and the realm of social impact. It’s a journey that demands resilience, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to your mission. But it’s also a journey that’s incredibly rewarding, as you witness the positive change your ESE brings to individuals and communities.

So, welcome to the world of managing an Employment Social Enterprise, where every challenge is an opportunity, and where your leadership will shape the future of your organization and the lives it touches. Together, we can continue to build a world where social good and sustainable growth go hand in hand. Get ready to lead, inspire, and make a lasting impact.

Resources For Your Journey

Showing 31 to 40 of 195 posts
Business Planning, Growth Planning | Grow a Social Enterprise, Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Customer Segmentation & Value Proposition

You will learn about the importance of customer segmentation and the 3 different categories of value proposition. You will even have a chance to draft your own value proposition for a core customer group. Together, we will then identify the most important customer assumptions to test, which is a foundation for the later courses on promotions, sales channels, and pricing.
Raising Capital & Fundraising | Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Determining the Next Hire for Your Development Team

This session examines how to make strategic hiring decisions that strengthen your contributed revenue function. Using examples from several social enterprises at different stages of growth, we will review development team structures across a spectrum of revenue levels and organizational maturity.
Growth Planning, Operations | Grow a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Elevate & Expand: Strategic Operational Growth Planning

We are excited to host a workshop designed to unravel the intricacies of operational growth within Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs). The Women's Bean Project team will share firsthand experiences and insights into the intentional strategy behind their substantial growth in both their business and employee success operations.  
Financial Management | Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Financial Sustainability

NFF share their insights for quickly understanding financial health and performance using nonprofit financials, including how donor-restricted funding may obscure the overall picture. The second part of the session digs into why capital structure matters and what a healthy balance sheet should look like for your growth-minded nonprofit.
Growth Planning, Raising Capital & Fundraising | Grow a Social Enterprise, Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Fundraising Strategy

This session is designed to equip you to evaluate the viability of each strategy as if you were your own consultant: grants, major gifts, corporate sponsorships, events, and annual giving. You will consider each strategy through a matrix that ranks: sustainability, return on investment, return horizon, scalability, and needed infrastructure.
Employee Success Program, Leadership & Talent | Grow a Social Enterprise, Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Futures Thinking

In this hands-on lab, participants will learn how to explore multiple time horizons, identify early signals of change, and map possible futures—so they can better prepare for disruptions, amplify opportunities, and align action with long-term vision.
Business Planning, Raising Capital & Fundraising | Manage a Social Enterprise

Continuing Education Series: Government Funding & ESEs 101 | Getting to Know Each Other

In this session we will discuss the different types of government funding available to ESEs from federal, state, and local government agencies, and options for pursuing  these funding resources. We will also hear from a Redefine Alliance Community ESE about their experience seeking and executing government contracts. This session was part of the Fall 2023 Raising Capital & Increasing Revenue CE Week.